Sarah Russin, Executive Director (03/14) she/her
Executive Director since 2014, Sarah Russin is expanding upon LACE’s experimental spirit and legacy of presenting groundbreaking and socially engaged art. With the LACE team and board of directors, Sarah is dedicated to the development and support of artists and artistic communities, and to offering LACE as a communal center that welcomes a broad audience to experience and create dialogue around contemporary art and culture. Shortly after arriving at LACE, she established two signature annual programs: the Emerging Curator’s Program, designed to discover curatorial talent in Los Angeles, and the Summer Artist in Residence Program, which since its inception, has featured Native Strategies, Rafa Esparza, Jibade-Khalil Huffman, Jimena Sarno, and Young Joon Kwak with Mutant Salon. In celebration of LACE’s 40th Anniversary, Sarah worked closely with The Getty Research Institute in their acquisition of The LACE Archives. She is a founding member of the LAVA Coalition (Los Angeles Visual Arts) formed in 2020—a group of small visual arts organizations in LA that provide mutual support, engage in shared fundraising and professional development, and advocate for our sector.
Prior to LACE Sarah worked in higher education in various capacities. At Otis College of Art and Design, she served as Assistant Vice President of Institutional Advancement, and previously as Director of Alumni Relations, developing support for the college in the areas of collaborative partnerships, corporate and foundation relations, marketing and communications, and individual giving. Before joining Otis in 2002, Sarah oversaw recruitment efforts for Art Center College of Design, where she reviewed thousands of portfolios, and led Art Center’s highly regarded Night and Saturday High Programs. She served on the board of the Barnsdall Park Foundation for several years. Sarah holds a BFA from Rhode Island School of Design.
Fiona Crary, Deputy Director (01/23) she/her
Fiona is LACE’s Deputy Director, stewarding the organization’s programming and operations calendar, development strategies, and relocation into the renovated gallery. Her work is guided by a passion for supporting artists and artwork production through the lifecycle of a project—from ideation, to development, strategic planning, budgeting, and project management. In 2023, she served as LACE’s Interim Curator, overseeing new commissions from artists Jackie Amézquita and Micaela Tobin, as well as LACE’s exhibitions and public programs. She was previously the Manager of Curatorial Projects & Public Experience at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA), Managing Editor at Art Practical, Assistant Director at LACE, and has held additional roles at arts organizations and institutions including &art&, the Hollywood Arts Council, the Skirball Cultural Center, Creative Migration, RITE Editions, and California College for the Arts. She has curated group and solo exhibitions and public programs for YBCA; the Wattis Institute of Contemporary Art; the Curatorial Research Bureau; Hubbell Street Galleries, Dogpatch Studios, and Isabel Percy West Gallery at California College of the Arts; Public Pool Gallery; LA Weekly’s Artopia; and more. She co-curated the ninth editi0n of YBCA’s signature triennial, Bay Area Now, featuring new work by 30 Bay Area contemporary artists.
Fiona is also a dedicated advocate for arts and artist funding, and equitable pay for artists and arts workers. She was selected as an Arts for LA ACTIVATE Fellow in Cultural Policy in 2016, has served as an arts delegate for Los Angeles Arts Day and as a mentor for Arts for LA’s ACTIVATE Protege program. She holds a BA in Art History with a minor in Education Studies from the University of California, Los Angeles and an MA in Curatorial Practice from California College of the Arts. Outside of LACE, you can find her at a pottery wheel or hiking in Griffith Park with her dog Carrott.
Selene Preciado, Curator & Director of Programming (08/23) she/her
Selene Preciado is LACE’s Curator & Director of Programs. From 2015–2023, she worked at the Getty Foundation, supporting Pacific Standard Time (PST: LA/LA and PST ART: Art and Science Collide), and co-managing the Getty Marrow Undergraduate Internship program since 2018. Prior to joining the Getty, she worked at The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (MOCA), the Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA), Centro Cultural Tijuana (CECUT), the San Diego Museum of Art (SDMA), and inSite_05.
Selected curatorial projects include Collidoscope: de la Torre Brothers Retro-Perspective, The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art and Culture in conjunction with the National Museum of the American Latino (2022–2023, ongoing national tour); Ser todo es ser parte/To be Whole is to be Part, LACE (2020); Destino Elei vía Tiyei, Centro Cultural Tijuana (2019), co-curated with Daniela Lieja Quintanar; Customizing Language, the inaugural exhibition of the Emerging Curators Program at LACE, co-curated with Idurre Alonso (2016); José Montoya’s Abundant Harvest: Works on Paper/Works on Life, Fowler Museum at UCLA, co-curated with Richard Montoya (2016); MIXTAPE (2013); and Anywhere Better than this Place (2012) at MOLAA. Her research-based curatorial practice approaches topics such as history, memory, language, diaspora, place, ritual, and popular culture through experimental perspectives.
Raised in Tijuana, Preciado obtained a B.A. in Visual Arts from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), and holds an M.A. in Art and Curatorial Practices in the Public Sphere from the University of Southern California (USC).
Johnny Young, Production + Operations Coordinator (6/25) he/him
A native Angeleno, Johnny began making his mark on the Los Angeles arts scene as Gallery and Programming Manager for the Juicy Beats Artist Exchange Lounge in 2000. Driven by a deep commitment to cultivating space for emerging and experimental artists, he has built a longstanding track record in cultural programming, collaborative installations, and public performance art. His early efforts helped lay a foundation for inclusive, grassroots-driven artistic platforms in L.A.
Johnny has worked with the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), where he played a key role in production and management for their First Fridays program —an influential series known for spotlighting innovative voices across music, art, and performance. His ability to bridge creative vision with logistical execution has made him a go-to figure for community-centered cultural events. Maintaining a hands-on approach to his practice, Johnny served as Lead Art Technician for Gallery 90220, where he oversaw exhibition installations, managed artist support, and ensured the technical integrity of shows. He was also selected for the prestigious Diversity Apprenticeship Program (DAP) at The Broad, a competitive initiative aimed at training the next generation of museum and gallery professionals from underrepresented communities. As a DAP apprentice and beyond, Johnny has collaborated with a range of prominent institutions including the Vincent Price Art Museum, Hauser & Wirth, the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery, and the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs. Across all of his work, Johnny brings a sharp eye for detail, a commitment to equity in the arts, and a dedication to amplifying voices that challenge the boundaries of convention.
Ida Tongkumvong, Communications + Events Coordinator (6/25) she/her
Ida is a Los Angeles-based arts administrator and marketing professional with a passion for expanding access to the arts and fostering inclusivity within creative spaces. She holds a B.A. in Communications from UCLA and currently serves as the Communications & Events Coordinator at LACE, where she manages communications and marketing, leads event production, develops strategies and messaging for exhibitions and public programming, and oversees the LACE digital archive.
Her previous roles with Sounding Point, the LA Phil, and CAP UCLA deepened her commitment to broadening arts access through strategic partnerships, inclusive programming, and dynamic storytelling. With a keen interest in public art and community-based initiatives, Ida brings a thoughtful and collaborative approach to audience development and creative event planning within L.A.’s contemporary arts landscape.
Outside of work, you’ll often find her at a flea market or estate sale, always on the hunt for a one-of-a-kind find.
Camilla Caldwell, Archive Fellow (04/25) they/them
While working at LACE, Camilla is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Library and Information Studies from University of California, Los Angeles with a specialization in archival studies. They obtained their BFA specializing in performance art and illustration, at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. With a focus in body installation and fluxus inspired performance, Camilla’s background in art informs both their practice and values as an archivist. When not found in the stacks organizing and filing, Camilla can be found crocheting, making coffee as a barista, or thinking about clowns.
Camilla (at) welcometolace.org
Jada Wong, Communications and Media Intern (6/25) she/her
Jada Wong is an illustrator, printmaker, and educator who creates whimsical characters and stories to make sense of the world around her. Jada merges her love for the absurd and humor with themes of identity, community, and social justice in her work. She enjoys creating for younger audiences and bringing out adults’ childlike spirit. Jada uses everyday situations and mundane objects as inspiration and illustrates them with a twist. Her goal is to make silly pictures, use art as a tool for change, and help others feel seen through her work.
She recently graduated from Otis College of Art and Design with a BFA in Illustration and minors in Printmaking and Art and Design Education.
Mary Cullather, Bookkeeper (08/16) she/her
Mary is an experimental music composer and multi-media artist who lives in Los Angeles and has worked in music, performance, video, photography, and installation. She has an MFA in Art from CalArts and a BA in Music from University of St. Thomas. Her work has been shown at: DiverseWorks, Huntington Beach Art Center, New Music America, The Orange Show.
Bowie, LACE Gallery Dog
